Pet Sitting as a Career

Would Pet Sitting as a Career Work for You?

Do you have a passion for pets? Need a second source of income or better still interested in a career change?

We’ve all heard of the term “babysitting.” Pet sitting is similar, except instead of taking care of a human baby,  you’re taking care of a pet.

Pet sitting as a career is the act of acting as a surrogate parent for a person’s beloved pet, right in their home while they are away and getting paid for that service. There is more to pet sitting than just sitting on a couch though.  For example, if the the pet is a dog, you might have to take the dog out for a walk. Businesses known as pet boarders or doggie daycare are not considered “pet sitting.”

With Pet Love you can…

What Does Pet Sitting As a Career Involve?

A pet sitter is a person who loves pets and wants to benefit from his or her passion by turning that passion into a part time or full time business. Although no formal education is needed to be a pet sitter, running a pet sitting business does require a level of understanding as to what it takes to run a successful  business enterprise. Of course you can educate yourself “on the job” as to the  do’s and don’t’s of of your new business,  your success will be entirely dependent on your hard work and dedication. Expanding your business by building and cultivating relationship with your customers based on trust will help you succeed in that business, and if you want to ensure that your potential customers have a reason to trust in in the first place, particularly when they don’t know you, the first thing you should do is getting bonded and insured. This gives pet owners even more of an incentive to hire you. A pet sitter can typically make anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 a month and more depending on whether it’s a part-time job or a full-time job.

A pet sitter may have one (or more) pet to look after and it is not uncommon for a pet parent to have a variety of pets in their home. From dog to cat, a bird, a turtle, or any other combination in terms of breeds and number.

Pet sitting may vary in length from a few hours to a full day, several days and even overnight stays.

A pet sitter may need to walk a dog, feed a pet and give it water, play with a pet and give it exercise, clean out the litter box, give pet medication, and much more. It all depends on what the owner stipulates in the agreement.

Why Would Anyone Hire Pet Sitters?

The number one reason is because they need someone to look after their beloved pets, and they would much rather keep their pet in the comfort of their own home, rather than having to disrupt their life by taking them to pet daycares, etc.

1. A Pet Sitter Can Give That Extra TLC

When a dog is brought to a doggie daycare, for example, he or she is there with other dogs. Although the people who run these businesses love pets, there’s only so much attention they can give to any one dog.

A pet sitter, on the other hand, can give an owner’s dog their undivided care and love, which helps a dog feel happier and wanted.

2. Pets Are Happier At Home

Whenever a pet owner brings their dog out of their familiar environment, they take a risk that the pet will feel stressed and uncomfortable in the unfamiliar territory, particularly with other animals around. When a pet is allowed to stay at home, they can feel less traumatized.

3. Pets At Home Continue to Get Proper Diet and Exercise

Bringing a pet out of its environment to a boarding situation can disrupt that pet’s diet and exercise routine that its master has set for it. Keeping the pet at home with its pet sitter allows a dog to continue with the healthy food and exercise plan that has been created for it.

4. Pets Can Get Sick From Other Pets

Another thing that can happen to pets that are taken to boarding situations is that they are exposed to other pets and possible disease. Leaving the pet with a pet sitter in its home helps to eliminate that potential.

Pet sitting as a career is a viable way to make money for those who love pets. People who sit for more than one pet have the best chance of turning the job into a career.